Ice Is the Crucial Difference Between a Good Cocktail and a Great Cocktail

It may seem simple, but ice can play a huge role in how delicious your drink of choice is.

While ice may be 32 degrees Fahrenheit, it's still possible to make your cocktail even colder because of what Jennifer Colliau, beverage director at San Francisco's Interval bar calls "thermal energy that's expended as the ice is melting in your cocktail." The key then is to maintain control over how the ice melts and diluting it in a way that best brings out the flavor, whether it's a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned.

To do that, make sure you use a thermometer to keep tabs on the drink's dilution, remembering each drink works best at a different temperature.

So, the next time you get a drink on the rocks make sure to keep all these factors in mind. Except when you order beer. Because beer and ice is just a no-no.